Scarlet and Sapphire
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Helplessly in love with his beautiful captain, Renji is crushed when Byakuya marries his best friend, Ichigo. Even more crushing is being asked to guard the breeder male who will be having Byakuya and Ichigo's baby. But when Renji and Tetsuya are thrown into danger together, he learns something monumental about Byakuya's shy, quiet cousin…Yaoi, mpreg Renji/Tetsuya, Ichigo/Byakuya
1. A Step to the Side

**Scarlet and Sapphire**

 **By Spunky0ne**

 **XXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Helplessly in love with his beautiful captain, Renji is crushed when Byakuya marries his best friend, Ichigo. Even more crushing is being asked to guard the breeder male who will be having Byakuya and Ichigo's baby. But when Renji and Tetsuya are thrown into danger together, he learns something monumental about Byakuya's shy, quiet cousin…Yaoi, mpreg Renji/Tetsuya, Ichigo/Byakuya**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **Chapter 1: A Step to the Side**

 _How the hell does this happen?_

Renji Abarai stared dazedly at the lovely formal wedding invitation in front of him, unable to tear himself away from the words printed in gold on the dark cherry colored paper.

"The wedding of Lord Byakuya Kuchiki, 28th head of the Kuchiki clan and Shiba heir, Ichigo Kurosaki," he read in a soft, wounded voice, "Jeez."

 _It's not Captain Kuchiki's fault,_ he reminded himself, _It's not like I ever said anything to him. How could I? Clan leaders don't fall in love with Rukongai mongrels like me. They fall in love with their own kind._

 _Although, Ichigo isn't exactly their kind._

He gave an agitated sigh, especially at having already agreed to attend the looming event as an honored guest.

 _Ugh, maybe some mission will come up or something, and I won't be able to go. I've gotta think of something. Sick friend? Nah, too likely Captain would figure that out. Injury? Hmm, nope. Injuries, he would want seen in the fourth division. No way I'm going there. I think I have a vaccination almost due. Don't wanna give those vampires any ideas. Damn, I can't really think of anything good._

He slammed his head unceremoniously down on the desk.

 _Why couldn't I just freaking tell Captain before it was too late? And Ichigo! Ichigo is my best friend! I should've been able to say something at least to him_.

A soft sound of laughter seeped out of the nearby hallway, making the redhead look up and frown.

"Weird," he muttered.

 _I got up early and didn't think anyone was here._

He stood and walked to the hallway's entrance, then paused as he realized that the door to Byakuya's quarters was opened a little, and Ichigo's voice was sounding from just on the other side.

"Sorry for invading last night," the Shiba heir laughed, sounding completely unapologetic, "Seriously, I just came to tuck you in. It's just real hard to keep my hands off of you, you know?"

"I seem to suffer from the same affliction," Byakuya answered, sounding amused.

"Ugh," Renji groaned, putting a hand over his face and shaking his head, "Do they have to be so fucking perfect together? Right in front of me?"

He moved back to his desk to sit down again as a little thump sounded and then some rustling inside the room.

Renji could barely hear the words that leaked out through the now closed door.

"I seem to be suffering another bout of hunger for you," Byakuya chuckled.

"Oh," Ichigo answered, "that's okay. I'm in no hurry."

"Please, no!" Renji whimpered, covering his face with his hands, "C'mon, Captain, you remember how to use a damned privacy barrier!"

"Mph," Ichigo grunted, "Sh-shouldn't we…"

"Renji sleeps late and no one else is here," Byakuya assured his handsome partner, "But, maybe you're right."

Renji's face slammed down on the desk again as the privacy barrier formed.

"God, this is even worse!"

He could just imagine what was going on behind that barrier.

 _Captain's so goddamned beautiful, with that silky hair that he wears more loose and not as perfectly controlled now. It's even messier when he's just out of bed, which I only know because we've slept near each other on missions before. He looks so cute with messy hair and his yukata opened quite a bit, and with his eyes still sleepy._

 _God, why couldn't I have just said something?_

 _I could be the one in there that he's smiling at with those lips that don't smile often enough, the one he's kissing with them. I could be the one slipping fingers beneath his yukata and tickling those perky pink nipples of his while we kiss. I could walk him to the bed, keeping his smiling mouth busy, pushing my tongue inside to taste the green tea still on his. My hands could slide under his yukata and make it drop to the floor._

 _I'd lay him down and take my time, teasing his white skin all over with my rough fingers and making him blush with the naughty things I'd whisper in his ear. And pretty soon, we'd wanna go farther, and he'd wrap a hand around my wrist, guiding my hand, first to his mouth, where he'd dampen my fingers, then he'd slide'em down over a pretty breast, down to his soft belly, then further, yeah, further down past the trail of dainty black hairs to the most beautiful and perfect thing that ever graced the three worlds!_

 _Oh sweet kami, when I got there, I'd…_

"Hey Renj," Ichigo said casually as he left Byakuya's room, his clothing rumpled and his hair even messier than usual.

The startled redhead crashed into the ceiling, then flopped down into his chair again.

"FUCKING HELL, "ICHIGO! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?" Renji howled.

Ichigo looked back at him in surprise as Byakuya appeared in the hallway, wearing his sexiest red yukata a bit haphazardly and looking more than a little flushed.

"For kami's sake, Abarai, are you trying to wake the dead?" he asked, frowning.

"S-sorry, Captain," Renji said sheepishly, slapping a hand to his forehead, "He…ah…he just surprised me is all. I didn't know you guys…um…didn't know you were here."

"Really?" Ichigo laughed, running his fingers through his messy spiked hair, "I thought we were kinda loud."

"Ichigo," Byakuya said, crossing his arms and scowling.

"Heh, sorry Byakuya. Anyway, don't forget to tell me as soon as you and Tetsuya hear something from the healer, okay?"

"Of course."

 _Tetsuya?_ Renji mused, _Who's that? And what about a healer? Is he sick?_

"Is someone sick, Captain?" Renji asked as Ichigo kissed the Kuchiki leader and exited the office.

"Sick?" Byakuya repeated, frowning, "Oh, no. No one is ill. I have a cousin who…well, I have been meaning to talk to you about him."

Byakuya looked around the office, then down at his yukata.

"Perhaps we can discuss it in my room while I dress?"

Renji swallowed hard at the thought and felt sweat on his forehead, but he nodded and followed Byakuya back into the captain's quarters, closing the door behind them. The noble moved to man's yukata dropped to the floor, revealing fully his painfully beautiful body.

"My apologies for Ichigo's intrusion," he said as he began to dress, "He does have a habit of being spontaneous and sometimes disruptive."

"That, he does," Renji chuckled, trying to sound like his heart wasn't pounding at two hundred beats a minute and his tongue didn't want to hang out practically onto the floor right then.

"But, even though he is disruptive, Ichigo is also a very loving person."

"Y-yeah," Renji agreed, "you're right about that. He's a good friend."

"Yes, and he is a passionate lover," the noble admitted, making Renji's face burn crimson at the thought, "I confess that I have never felt so loved, so cared for…so…beautifully treasured by someone."

The redhead's eyes widened.

 _Captain really loves Ichigo, and Ichigo makes Captain feel loved the way he deserves to be. A part of me is just dying here, but the better part of me knows…they belong together. I can love Captain Kuchiki with everything in me, but if he doesn't return that love, then there's no future in pursuing it._

 _What the hell do I do about that?_

"You…deserve to be loved, Captain," he said, forcing a smile, "You've been in mourning for a long time. You should be happy with Ichigo."

"He does make me happy," Byakuya said, looking into the mirror at his lovely reflection while he continued to dress, "I want that happiness to endure, and that is why I want to speak to you."

"Sir?" Renji mused, giving the noble a confused look.

"You are Ichigo's best friend," Byakuya explained, "and as my vice captain and friend, you hold a place of trust in my life as well."

 _I think the living world folks call this being 'friend-zoned.' You can't be mad, because it's a kind of love and it's a position of trust. So, being a treasured friend is supposed to be an honor. It just doesn't feel that way because I'm still hung up on Captain. I have to suck it up and accept that it was never gonna work. Even if I'd said something, I'm not the one he loves. Still, it is good having him trust me. So, whatever he asks me for, I'll do it. After all, friends are a good thing, right?_

"Thank you, Captain."

"Renji, there is something I need to tell you, and a favor I need to ask of you."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Well, it is two favors, really," Byakuya answered, surprising the redhead with a cute blush that touched his pale features.

"O-kay, shoot."

"Right. You know that it is unusual for the elders of any clan to support the marriage of a leader to someone who is not of pure blood?"

"Yeah, I've heard that. And also, Ichigo is male, so he can't have kids. I know you had to agree to have kids when you decided to get married, so…how does that work?"

"I was getting to that. You see, Ichigo may not be of pure Shinigami blood, but his mother, even as a quincy, was of a quincy noble family. He wields great power, so an exception was made to allow us to marry. Still, as you said, we need to provide heirs, now both for the Kuchiki clan and for the Shiba clan."

"How does that happen?" Renji asked curiously, "Not to poke my nose in, but…"

"Oh, it's fine," Byakuya said, looking amused.

"Do you use a surrogate or something?"

"Something like that," the noble answered, "We actually have a way to have a child that will mingle both of our reiatsus and genetic markers."

"Really? I didn't know you could do something like that," the redhead said, looking surprised.

"We couldn't, except for my cousin, Tetsuya."

"Oh, did he find this way for you to…?"

"Tetsuya is very special," Byakuya said, his eyes growing affectionate, "You see, at the end of the first blood war with the quincies, the noble clans faced a threat to their very existence. The fighting in that war was even more fierce and terrifying than that of the war we just endured. And the quincy leader was bent on ending the great clans. They hunted and slaughtered as many women and children as they could. They wiped out several of the lower clans."

"Holy hell," Renji breathed.

"The clans had to repopulate, once the war ended, but there weren't enough children left or enough females to bear new heirs. But while the quincies had targeted women and children in the families, they overlooked the non-ranking male family members. Between the war and the direct attacks on the noble houses they defended, many of them were also killed. But…because of their impressive skills in fighting, more of them survived. And a brilliant scientist of the time was able to alter some of the males so that they could carry the offspring of one or more other males, by formation of a special reiatsu chamber in their bodies. The men who agreed to bear the burden of the clan's survival this way were called breeder males."

Renji shook his head in disbelief.

"Really? I never heard anything about that. That's just…"

"It is rarely spoken of outside the clans, or even inside, because after the clans were revived, it was ruled that the ability was an unnatural one, and was no longer needed. Many felt that it infringed on the place of women in our houses. But, what no one knew was that some of the males born of the breeder males also carried the ability to bear children. It was not possible to know whether or not one carried the trait until the natural breeder male became pregnant, so many were simply never identified, as they had female partners."

"But, why aren't there breeder males now?" Renji inquired, "What happened to them?"

"That is a very dark part of our history," the noble confessed, "Some hated the breeder males, and thought them unnatural and dangerous, though they never did anything violent. The one who hated the breeder males formed an illegal group that hunted and murdered the breeder males. If a person was even rumored to have the ability, those men killed him. In this insidious way, most of the breeder males died. But…some survived because no one discovered their ability. As of today, we know of only one breeder male."

Realization dawned on Renji's face.

"Your cousin?"

Byakuya nodded.

"Tetsuya is a breeder male. He can carry children. When the council argued against letting Ichigo and me marry, he offered himself to bear powerful heirs for both the Shiba and Kuchiki clans. If we had accepted the help of clan surrogates, the children would have been either mine or Ichigo's separately, but with Tetsuya's help, we can ensure that our reiatsu in mingled in the offspring so that the chances of passing on our greater powers are increased. Tetsuya knew that this would be attractive to the elders, especially in the wake of the war, because it would not just give two great clans powerful heirs, those heirs would bring some quincy blood into the noble clans, so that if the quincies threaten us again, the bodies of future clan members will be more resistant to them and more able to fight them than we were"

"Well," Renji said, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, "I guess that makes sense."

Byakuya nodded.

"The elders felt the same. They agreed to the match and let us begin an official courtship, but they did require that Tetsuya prove that he could carry children for us. So, Ichigo and I mated with him and we await the results of that mating."

Renji's jaw crashed down onto the floor and his eyes rounded.

 _Mated with him…_

"I am sorry," Byakuya apologized, noting his adjutant's strong reaction, "I suppose I said that too casually."

"Ah, no!" Renji objected, "No, it's fine."

"You are a friend, so I don't mind sharing the details."

"R-right. Good," Renji stammered, blinking and shaking his head, "So, that's why Tetsuya was seeing a healer?"

"Yes. We should find out today if the mating was successful."

 _Does he have to keep saying that?_

"So, you said that you wanted something from me?"

 _I wish I could be a breeder male…_

"While he is in his gestation period, Tetsuya's powers will have to be limited for his safety and the baby's. He will need protection as he carries out this task, and it needs to come from a trusted source, because even now, there are those who hate Tetsuya, both for being a mixed blood and for being a breeder male.

 _Oh fuck, he's gonna ask me to…?_

"Ichigo and I know that we have never had a better friend that you, and your powers are respectable."

"Uh…thanks."

"So," Byakuya said, for a moment looking so sweetly vulnerable that Renji felt his defenses crash down around him, "will you agree to be Tetsuya's bodyguard during his pregnancy?"

 _Shit._

 _Can you just kill me now?_

 _This is the worst!_

"Yeah," Renji said, smiling helplessly as his heart burst and he was sure he saw the mess splashing down onto the floor, "of course, Captain. I'll protect Tetsuya and your baby with my life."


	2. Loose Ends

**Chapter 2: Loose Ends**

 **(Thanks so much to everyone reading and supporting this story. I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoy the new chapter. Love, Spunky)**

 _Why am I here again?_ Renji asked himself as he headed into Kuchiki Manor's courtyard, where he was waved on by the house guards that were on duty at the manor entrance, _First of all, I hate being in formal dress. Second, I wish it was me marrying Captain Kuchiki. Third, I'm a mongrel from the low Rukongai who dislikes boring meetings. All good reasons not to be strung up in this very uncomfortable kimono and headed into a gathering of the stuffiest people that ever lived. Well…all right, I have to admit that if I'd gotten my way and Captain Kuchiki had fallen in love with me, I would have had to spend horrific amounts of time being told what to do by those stuffy old men. So, I should be happy that I'm only suffering like this right now and not…_

"Lieutenant Abarai," said a calm male voice that broke him out of his thoughts and sent him crashing back down into the Kuchiki Manor courtyard, where he found himself face to face with a young man he somehow knew could only be the breeder male cousin that Byakuya had told him about.

"Welcome to Kuchiki Manor. I am Tetsuya Kuchiki, Lord Kuchiki's bodyguard and personal healer."

 _This is the guy carrying Captain Kuchiki's baby?_

He stood a few inches shorter than the Kuchiki leader, with a slighter build and a more delicate look to him. But one look at him revealed the markers of high breeding, the pale, porcelain skin, radiant sapphire eyes and hints of strong reiatsu that laid beneath the calm, quiet surface.

 _Captain Kuchiki said that Tetsuya is a half blood, but you sure can't tell from looking at him. No denying he's beautiful, just like Captain._

"Byakuya is waiting for us with Lord Shiba in the gardens," Tetsuya informed him.

"Lord Shiba…" Renji muttered, then he flushed, "Oh, you mean Ichigo!"

"Yes," Tetsuya agreed, looking slightly amused at the redhead's confusion, "It does sound strange, given Ichigo's free spiritedness."

"You can say that again."

"If you will come this way, Lieutenant Abarai."

"Right. Okay."

He fell in alongside Tetsuya, noticing as he did, that there seemed to be something in the air around the young man that made him feel just a little bit giddy.

 _He's an attractive guy, but it's not just that. I feel like I did when I got my last round of vaccinations…yeah, and then I passed out cold. It's a weird feeling of being off balance. What's up with that?_

They stepped down into the manor gardens, and Renji felt the same little throb in his insides as he took in how beautiful it all looked. A thick green carpet of grass cut by meandering paths, several koi ponds filled with lovely fish, blossoming flowers and pretty, blossoming sakura and plum trees everywhere. Amidst all of that, Byakuya sat in a gazebo, looking like the handsome centerpiece, alongside a formally dressed and oddly regal looking Ichigo.

 _Why does he have to look so damned good_? Renji sighed inwardly, _I mean, he grew up a regular human kid before he learned who he really was. He tells me all of the time how it all feels so unreal to him that he's heir to leadership of a noble house. Looks like he's adjusting, though._

 _You know, despite being desperately in love with Captain Kuchiki, I don't think I could deal with the crap that heirs have to all of the time. So, maybe all of this is a good thing._

"Ah, I see you have found Renji," Byakuya said in a deep, mellow voice that sounded very relaxed for his usually stern captain, "Thank you, Tetsuya."

"Hey, Renj," Ichigo greeted him, "You look really good."

"That is a handsome kimono," Byakuya agreed.

The compliment made a little tickle go through the redhead's insides.

 _He likes it!_

 _Kami, I'm so pathetic, hanging on his every word and waiting for him to throw out a compliment for me to gobble up. I wonder if it's obvious how much I wish I could switch places with Ichigo right now._

"My apologies for putting you through what is likely to be a very boring meeting," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "It is just that the elders require formal introduction of the bearer's protector, and you have been selected for that honor."

"Lucky me," Renji snickered, earning an amused look from his captain and friend, as well as a shy look of approval from Tetsuya, "Well, excuse me if I'm more interested in the bodyguarding than the introduction ceremony."

He realized suddenly the little blush his words brought to Tetsuya's cheeks and bit his tongue, giving Byakuya's flustered cousin a look of apology.

"I think anybody would be," Tetsuya said demurely.

"We should be on our way," Byakuya said, changing the subject to spare him.

"On our way?" Renji asked.

"We are meeting at the Kuchiki Council Hall."

"Oh right," the redhead recalled, "You told me that."

He checked the time and frowned.

"Aren't we going to be a little late?" he asked.

"Not at all," Byakuya said, indicating two stallions, a tall, lovely paint and a slighter, more dainty looking black Arabian, "These are Tetsuya's and my spirit steeds, Ikazuchi and Arashi, who will be carrying us to the meeting. Renji, if you will ride with Tetsuya. Ichigo will be riding with me."

Ichigo and Renji waited as Byakuya and Tetsuya mounted their horses, then helped them up after. Renji settled in behind Tetsuya, holding on with his long legs, as he remembered being taught a long time before.

"You've ridden before?" Tetsuya asked him, looking over a slender shoulder to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, down in the Rukon, ages ago. I forgot most everything, but I do remember a little."

"That's good," Tetsuya said approvingly, "and don't worry. Arashi has a gentle gait."

"Eh…okay…" Renji muttered uncertainly.

"It means that he walks smoothly," Tetsuya explained.

"Oh, right."

With their riders astride them, the two stallions set off at a trot, heading out of the manor courtyard and onto the street. Renji let his hands rest on his thighs and continued to cling to the horse's back with his legs, but the horse peeked over a shoulder at him and stumbled very slightly, throwing him off balance and making him grab onto Tetsuya's waist.

"S-sorry!" he apologized hastily, removing his hands.

"It's fine," Tetsuya assured him, "You're welcome to hold onto me, if that is more comfortable for you."

"Uh, thanks."

Renji was sure he heard a little equine snicker, and he glared at the stallion suspiciously. Arashi peeked back at him through one wide sapphire eye and snorted.

"You know, I know it's weird to say this, but I think this little horse pie did that on purpose," he whispered to Tetsuya.

"Well, I suppose I wouldn't put it past him. He's a bit smarter and more willful than most spirit steeds," the noble whispered back.

"You're telling me…" Renji commented dryly.

Ahead of them, Ichigo glanced back over his shoulder, smirking as he saw Arashi stumble and Renji grab onto Tetsuya to steady himself.

"Looks like those two are getting along well," he commented.

"So it seems," Byakuya agreed, "Renji has strong protective instincts. He is a good choice for Tetsuya's protector."

"Yeah," Ichigo answered, stealing another glance at his friend, "But I wonder if it's the best thing to have him front and center, watching as you and I settle down and start a family. You…are aware of Renji's feelings for you, right?"

"Renji often attaches strongly to someone out of that protective instinct," Byakuya replied calmly, "but I have never encouraged him to think that there was more than friendship between us."

"Yeah, I know that," Ichigo said, looking somewhat guilty, "I just wonder if we shouldn't have talked about this with him…or maybe I should've. I mean, ignoring it and not dealing with it kinda leaves room for it to flare up at some point."

"You think that Renji is still infatuated with me?" Byakuya asked.

"Well, yeah," Ichigo answered, "I've known Renji for a long time. I just see it when he looks at you."

"Well, you and I are together now," Byakuya said firmly, "Renji knows that there is no future in holding out hope of something more. I think, for his pride's sake, it is better to say nothing directly and merely direct his protective instincts in another direction."

"Maybe," Ichigo said, looking back over his shoulder again, "but there's no guarantee that Renji's going to really like Tetsuya that way…and didn't you say that Tetsuya is your favored cousin? Couldn't you be setting them both up for a disappointment?"

"I am not setting them up."

"Yes, you are," Ichigo accused him affectionately.

"Well, if I am, then is there really anything bad about encouraging two people I care about to connect with each other? Both Renji and Tetsuya deserve to be happy…and perhaps seeing Tetsuya carry a child will bring out a desire in Renji to have a family of his own, whether that is with Tetsuya or someone else."

Ichigo's smile warmed.

"You know, I can see, plain as day, you want them to be together. You really love them both, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Both have faced much adversity, and yet have overcome everything, and in the time that I've known each of them, they have brought something profound into my life. The gift of their presence, of their friendship and devotion is not something I would ever take for granted."

"Me either," Ichigo agreed, "I want to see them happy too."

"I suppose we must wait and see what happens."

"I guess so."

Ichigo's expression softened and he hugged Byakuya round the waist, pressing his lips to a soft earlobe.

"Who'd have thought?" he chuckled, "Byakuya Kuchiki playing matchmaker."

"I'm doing no such thing," Byakuya said evenly, "I am merely introducing them and giving them an environment in which they will get to know each other."

"Heh, yeah, _and_ one in which they'll be looking out for each other. You're a tricky one, aren't you?"

"Me?" Byakuya said primly, "Perish the thought."

The horses turned into a tree lined cul-de-sac and carried their riders to the end, where they stopped, and the four men dismounted. Renji watched as the two horses melted into the trees.

"You just let them roam around?" he inquired, "If we did that with the Rukongai horses, they'd either wander off or get stolen. Either way, we'd never see them again."

"Ikazuchi and Arashi are bonded to us, so they will not leave us," Tetsuya explained, "and they are more than capable of thwarting any would-be horse thief."

"Huh," he said, looking in the direction the horses had gone, "Y'know, I'd like to see that."

"You're very funny, Lieutenant Abarai," Tetsuya commented.

"Stop that," Renji chided him, "Just call me Renji. I may be an officer, but it looks like you and I are going to be working closely together. So, unless you want me calling you Sir Tetsuya all of the time, you'll relax a little and just call me Renji."

"I suppose that does make the most sense, under the circumstances," Tetsuya agreed, "Very well, Renji, then."

Renji nodded in approval, then he looked around them.

"So, what happens now?"

Tetsuya looked up the set of stone stairs in the front of the Council Hall building.

"In a moment, we'll go inside. We will follow just behind Byakuya and Ichigo. If called on to speak, the elders are all addressed as lords, family and subfamily leaders are also called lord. Anyone else is called sir…except for me."

Renji looked at him curiously.

"Just you?" he asked.

"Yes," Tetsuya said, blushing slightly, "Because I am appearing in council as the bearer of a clan leader's child, I am referred to as either the breeder male, Tetsuya or Clan Concubine."

Renji's eyes took on a derisive look.

"That's kinda rude, isn't it?" he asked.

"It is, at least, extremely direct," Tetsuya commented, "It is the truth. And I did agree to this as one of the terms of carrying a clan leader's child. I don't find it a burden."

"Well, then you're a nicer guy than me. If they called me something like that in public, I'd kick the shit out of'em and then some."

Renji smirked at the little laugh that escaped Tetsuya.

"I think I would like to see that," he said softly, his words echoing Renji's about the spirit steeds.

Renji snickered.

"Maybe not today. You know, I wouldn't want to ruin things for the happy couple."

"Right. Maybe not today," Tetsuya agreed.

The two felt Byakuya's eyes touch them, and they sobered respectfully, falling in behind Byakuya and Ichigo as they ascended the steps. Renji's breath caught softly as they passed through a stunning marble entry, where they were met by an elder with snowy, shoulder length hair and surprisingly lively eyes for a man his age. He gave Byakuya and the others a warm smile.

"Ah, good to see you've arrived. The council is assembling, so we can enter, if you like."

"Of course," Byakuya answered, "Ichigo, Renji, this is Nori Kuchiki, the head elder of our council, and a close confidante of my grandfather and father, as well as me."

"An honor to meet you, Ichigo," Nori said, nodding and bowing respectfully, "And Renji Abarai, I've heard quite a lot about you. I hear you are a force to be reckoned with. I suspect you'll be a good choice as protector of our Tetsuya."

"I'll do my best," Renji assured him.

"Then, you will do well," Byakuya complimented him, bringing a little flush to the redhead's face, "Come, let us enter the council chamber."

The five headed into the meeting chamber, a huge room with a long oval table in the middle, and seating along the sides for the gallery of observers.

"It is here, where the clan's policies and any important issues are discussed, and where disputes both within the clan and between clans, are resolved."

"That sounds like a tough job," Renji commented.

"It is quite the challenge," Nori affirmed, "Not for the faint of heart. But today's council is a good occasion. All of us on the council feel very positive about the match and the coming of the first heir."

He led the group to the head of the table, where extra chairs had been placed for Ichigo, Tetsuya and Renji, near Byakuya's and Nori's seats.

"I will warn you, though," Nori said, lowering his voice, "We have received several anonymous threats of death against our Tetsuya. Two of them are of notable concern, which is why the council will be relieved that Renji is here to protect Tetsuya."

Renji's body stiffened reactively at the thought of violence being threatened against anyone he cared about, especially someone carrying a child. His vision fogged for a moment, and he felt himself going back in time to a hard fight that had once taken place on a Rukongai street.

 _I haven't thought about that in a really long time._

 _But…I'm a lot stronger than I was then._

 _There's no way I'll let something like that happen now._


End file.
